The new findings are based on a survey study funded by the National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development. One Thousand four
hundred and ninety five tenth graders from across the US participated in
the study - their numbers and distribution forming a representative
sample of American teens as a whole.

The Survey:

Teens were asked to review their emotions over the span of a
30-day period. They were asked if they had experienced sadness,
irritability, hopelessness, a lack of appetite, variations in their
sleeping patterns, or problems concentrating.

They were then
asked how many times in the past 30 days they had used any type of mood
altering substances including cigarettes or alcohol, and asked if they
had become drunk or smoked marijuana and if so, how many times.

The Results:

The results of the study indicate that bullying is linked to an
increase in substance abuse, likely mediated by increased feelings of
depression that girls tend to experience after being bullied.

Jeremy Luk of The University of Washington, a co-author of the study,
explains the significance of the research results by saying, "Bullying
is a serious problem among adolescents. Previous research has shown that
it is associated with loneliness, depression and suicide. But no
previous national studies have identified depression as an explanation
for the relationship between victimization from bullying and substance
use." He urges parents to take bullying very seriously and to report any
occurrences they become aware of to school or other appropriate
authorities – taking all steps necessary to minimize the chances of
re-occurring bullying.

Bullying can be physical, verbal, sexual or even social on an
on-going basis. It can occur in-person, or as technology becomes more
prevalent, via online communications. Those being bullied are usually
unable to protect or defend themselves from this mistreatment and as
such bullying is associated with feelings of hopelessness, depression
and may even result in suicide.

The full research results can be found in the current edition of the journal, Prevention Science